Shock-absorber.



A. M. GRAY.

SHOOK ABSORBER.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB.1'4, 1907.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910. l

Suva ul'oz eyi W. Grey {Ea flamma- My /zmw M anmgq llhllTldD @iTAlQEd Pdllllolf @ldhltllil ALBERT M. GRAY, 0F ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

SHOCK-ABSORBER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALnnnT'l/i. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers of which the following is a specification The invention relates to an improvement in shock absorbers designed primarily for use with locomotives, or similar power propelled vehicles.

The main object of the present invention resides in the production ot a shock absorber of the pneumatic type, designed to be secured asthe advance portion of a power propelled vehicle, and constructed to absorb, in so far as possible, the initial shock incidenttoa collision of the vehicle with another body.

The invention will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation showing a locomotive provided with my improved snocir absorber, Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of the same, the shock absorber being illustrated partly in section, 3 is a face riewof the piston of the shock absorber.

Referring particularly to the drawings, y improved shock absorber comprises a cas ing 1, 1 1

of appropriate size and strength to be fixedly secured to the relafo'ward portion or the supporting work of the vehicle. The relatively i. ard portion of the casting is cored or nth cruise formed to. provide a cylinder 2, which, through the medium of a port 3 in the casting in rear oi the cylinder and a comuninicatiug pipe at, may be supplied with up" air from the main reservoir of u r or other source of supply. W iii n the cylinder 2 is mounted a piston rally of which is secured a stem 6, uug through the foinard Waller the der, and preferably ext-ending rearward and the 'astin whereby longitudinal movement the stem is permitted and lateral moveiznt gn :l The relatively outer tun 6 is '"irovided with a forwart face or surface an approximately semioffer 9, of relatively soft mateiead, or the like. The piston 5 reic rablv formed with concentric row is small openings 10 arranged adjacent the Specification of Letters Patent.

guided in opening 7 formed in' mama Aug. so, rare.

Application filed February 14-, 1807. Serial No. 357,304.

peripheral edgeof the iston toprovide for the gradual passage or a resisting medium in the movement of the piston.

In use, the piston 5 is maintained at the forward portion of the cylinder under the influence of the pressure from the main reservoir, so thatin the eventoi collision or other impactthe piston is gradually forced rearward against the pressure behind it, with the effect to gradually absorb the shock and very gradually transmit thesame to the frame of the vehicle. After complete movement of the piston under the influence of the shock the pressure within the cylinder 2 will he found to have practically equalized itself on-both sides the piston.

The invent-ion provides a simple means for artially absorbing the shoclrdue to the bee impact of the vehicle with another bod-y, and for transmitting said shock to the frame ofthe vehicle in a very gradual manner.

It Will'be seen that when the piston 5 is at the full outstrolre of its movement the distance between the main rear body ofthe structureand thev inner face of the piston will slightly exceed the distance between the inner face of the head 8 and the outer face of the cylinder-so'tnat when. tlie"piston' is at the full in stroke otits'movement-the innermost ring 5' thereof will abut the main body of the structure at the central portion thereof applying the full force of the shock incident to the peculiar con-,

. the cylinder and no force whatsoever can be applied thereto or to the walls of the cylinder, hence the latter is held against becoming ruptured incident to the sudden inward movement of the buffer. the shock to that part of the structure where no carnage will result when the butter is moved inwardly the piston 5 will also be held against buckling, incident to, the fact that it is never brought into full contact with the main body of the structure, as will be appreciates Having thus described the invention What claimed new, is

A shock absorber for vehicles comprising a casting having a forward portion formed Besides applying to provide a horizontally disposed cylinder which is closed at its outer end, said casting being provided rearwardly of the cylinder with a main body portion which is supported by and fixed to the forward portion of the vehicle frame, said main body having a central horizontally disposed passage formed therein, the closed outer end of the said cylinder havin a passage formed therein and located in line With the said first named passage, a rod slidable in the said passages and through the cylinder, a head at the outer end of the rod, a soft metal bufi'er extending from the forward face of the said head, a piston" mounted upon the rod and adapted for movement in the cylinder and provided with means adapted upon its full instroke in the cylinder to engage the said main body of the casting to apply the full force of the shock theretosaid cylinder, said bufier headbeing adapted for manual operation to impart an outward: sliding movement to the rod to position the piston thereon immediately adjacent the head of the cylinder and means for introducing a fluid into t e cylinder so that the piston will be held at the full outstroke of its movement. 7

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa-' ture in presence of. two witnesses.

ALBERT M. GRAY. \Vitnesses:

LILIAN S. GREENWOOD, LAMAR SHERERTZ. 

